Tulsa Public Schools Board To Consider Staff Reduction

NewsOn6.com

TULSA, OK -- The Tulsa Board of Education will consider $14 million in personnel changes to mitigate the effects of further state budget cuts. The savings will come from almost 350 administrative, support and teacher position reductions.

The seven-member board will vote Monday, March 22, on the elimination of 173 central services positions, as well as the fiscal year 2010-2011 staffing plan, which includes a teaching force reduction of 224.

While Tulsa Public Schools has instituted furlough days, a volunteer substitute teaching program, a hiring freeze, travel and non-classroom spending restrictions to deal with $7 million in state funding cuts this fiscal year, July 1 brings a new fiscal year and predictions of up to $15 million in further cuts.

Dr. Keith Ballard, the superintendent of Tulsa Public Schools, has said on many occasions that a 10 percent state funding cut would eventually lead to staff reductions because personnel costs make up 85 to 90 percent of the school district's budget.

"This fiscal year we did everything we could do to protect the classroom," Ballard said. "Our objective has been and continues to be a quality learning experience for each and every child, which means students start and end every day with a highly effective teacher at the front of the class. Children need consistency and we have done our best to minimize disruption to our 85 schools this fiscal year."

Ballard noted that TPS' teachers make up more than half of the district's workforce with more than 3,200 certified educators. The proposals up for board consideration equate to an approximate 14 percent cut for administrative personnel and 7 percent for teachers.

"We froze spending. We instituted a hiring freeze that affected 57 support and administrative positions. We eliminated 173 central services positions, most of which were administrative," Ballard said.

"We instituted furlough days for almost all but the teaching staff. We have gone as far as we can go without impacting teachers; but when teachers make up more than half of your workforce and the state cuts keep coming, it's impossible to continue to avoid impacting them as well."

Interim Chief Human Capital Officer Roberta Ellis said she has never seen so few teachers planning to leave TPS at the end of a school year. She said for the first time in recent memory, the district will not be able to count on 300 to 400 vacancies typically created through attrition. She blames the economy for the low turnover rate.

"Other districts also aren't hiring," Ellis said. "We see staff members whose spouses have lost jobs, so theirs is the only income. It's just a tough time for everyone financially, which is why we're treading very carefully."

Tulsa Public Schools previously offered a $5,000 incentive for teachers who gave early notification of their intent to leave the district. The offer has since expired with 72 teachers responding.

Ellis said district leaders are looking at a number of options to save teacher jobs, including the possibility of again extending the incentive to teachers who may be considering retirement.

Chief Financial Officer Trish Williams, who submitted the site staffing plan for board consideration, said the responsibility of allocating teachers to schools moved this year from the human capital department to the finance department. "This move has allowed us to incorporate staffing decisions into the overall budgeting and financial planning process," she said. "As we move forward the change will allow us to improve the accuracy and efficiency of our budgeting."

Following is a summary of the site staffing plan changes the board will consider on Monday:

...Pre-K - no change to 20 students

...Grades K-3 from 19.8 (round to 20) to 22 students

...Grades 4-5 from 20.8 (round to 21) to 23 students

...Grades 6 from 20.8 (round to 21) to 24 students

...Grades 7-8 from 23.5 (round to 24) to 24 students

...Grades 9-12 from 24 to 27 students

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